Differences from _olympica_, in males, are: M1 shorter; all other
measurements of teeth and parts of skull averaging larger; skull 20 per
cent heavier; tooth-rows averaging shorter than tympanic bulla rather
than about the same; relative to basilar length, braincase deeper at
anterior end of basioccipital and tooth-rows shorter. The skull of the
female is 64 per cent heavier, larger in every measurement taken
without overlap; temporal ridges meeting, rather than separated, at
lambdoidal crest; length of tooth-rows about equal to, rather than
shorter than, tympanic bulla; in relation to basilar length, skull
deeper, orbitonasal length more, mastoid and zygomatic breadths more,
and tympanic bullae shorter.
_Remarks._--References in the literature to this insular race mostly
were under the name _streatori_ until 1932 when in the course of the
present study the name _anguinae_ was proposed. A few specimens have
been taken by nearly every student of small mammals who has collected
on Vancouver Island. Arthur Peake and Herbert Laing have probably
collected more specimens than any other two zoölogists.
_M. c. anguinae_ is noteworthy for the slight secondary sexual
variation in size; the disparity between the two sexes is less than in
any other American subspecies of _erminea_. By linear measurement the
body of the female is only 7 per cent shorter than in the male (178
versus 191 mm.). Linear measurements and weights of the skulls of the
two sexes are further indicative of this approximation in size. By
weight the skull of the female is only a fourth lighter than that of
the male, or, stated in another way, the male's skull is only a third
heavier (1.2 versus 0.9 grams).
No geographic variation has been detected between lots of specimens
from different parts of Vancouver Island. The one specimen available
from Salt Spring Island presents no obvious differences from selected
individuals from Vancouver Island.
The winter pelage is more often brown than white. Of 17 specimens seen
in winter pelage or in transition pelage, only 6 are white. These 6 are
from Comox, Stamp River, Hilliers, Jeune Landing and Port Alice. Of the
34 specimens in brown pelage, 7 have the dark color of the upper parts
meeting on the abdomen. Six of the 34 have brown color on the pectoral
region. In two, this is a separate patch but in the other four the dark
color is a continuation of the upper parts and extends in front of each
foreleg over part of the pectoral region, but the two extensions, one
from either side, do not meet on the underparts. The color of the lips
was recorded in 22 individuals: one had both the upper and lower-lips
white; 7 had the upper lips brown and the lower lips white; in 14 both
the upper and lower-lips were brown.
_Specimens examined._--Total number, 40, listed by localities from
north to south as follows. Unless otherwise indicated, specimens
are in the National Museum of Canada.
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